Lighting baffles are typically provided in rectangular grids for placement in rectilinear arrays or as single units in ceiling structures. Difficulties are encountered when such baffles are to be placed in areas that are not rectangular. Modern architectural practice, however, often includes wall and ceiling areas that are curved. It therefore becomes desirable to provide lighting baffles that will follow a curvilinear surface.
In the past, baffles have been specially fabricated according to architectural plans. Such baffles, since special efforts in manufacturing are required, are extremely expensive. Further, baffle arrangements specially manufactured according to architectural drawings often do not fit the actual structure. This is often due at least in part to the difficulty in building such the ceiling structure precisely according to the plans. The baffle units may be manufactured to precise measurements. However, otherwise allowable deviations by the carpenters from the measurements on the plans result in poorly fitting baffle units, if the pre-manufactured, special order baffle units can be made to fit at all.
A need has therefore remained for a baffle unit that can be fitted on site to accommodate the actual "as-built" ceiling structures to assure proper fit. This need until advent of the present invention has not been filled.